Auxiliary bed hoist



Dec. 18, 1956 M. J. FLATLEY AUXILIARY BED HOIST Filed March 2'7, 1953 I INVENTOR. MARGARET J. FLATLEY FIG. 4

W ATTORNEY AUXILIARY BED HOIST Margaret J. Flatley, Pawtucket, R. I.

Application March 27, 1953, Serial No. 345,024

2 Claims. (Cl. 84)

My present invention relates to a hospital or sick bed and more particularly to a novel hoist for raisin-g the patient.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device which will permit the raising of a bedridden patient for the purpose of changing sheets, using the bed pan or for any other similar purpose.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which can readily be operated by one person without undue effort.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which is simple in construction and which can either be built directly into the bed or can be easily attached to an existing bed.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully described in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a bed equipped with a hoist embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the adjustment into sitting position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the supporting osts.

p Fig. 5 is a section showing the method of attaching the lifting sheet.

Hospital beds are normally equipped with devices which will raise the head or the feet of the patient by lifting the supporting structure of the bed itself. However, difliculty is encountered with patients who are bedridden and cannot help themselves. In such cases two or more nurses are required to handle the patient when a sheet is changed or when the patient must use the bed pan. The present invention is designed to provide an auxiliary hoist which will permit one person to easily lift the patient away from the bed without disturbing the bed.

Referring more in detail to the drawings embodying my invention, the conventional bed is provided with the usual inverted U-shaped supports 11 and 12. The auxiliary hoist is mounted on four vertical cylinders 13 each positioned at one of the legs of the bed. The cylinders 13 may be built into and made an integral part of the bed or may be separate elements as illustrated and clamped to the legs as at 14. At the bottom of each cylinder 13, I provide a coil spring 15, see Fig. 4, of a stiffness capable of supporting 100 pounds. I now provide a horizontal side rail 16 on each side of the bed, the end of each rail being bent at right angles downwardly forming vertical legs 17 extending into the tubular supports 13 and resting on the springs 15.

The side rails 16 will connect to each other by a U-shaped bar 18, the horizontal leg 19 of which extends beneath the bed and the vertical legs 20 extend upwardly nited States Patent 0 ice at each side of the bed to connect with the side rails 16 at approximately their centers. 1

The side rails 16 are raised and lowered as shown in Fig. 2. A horizontal shaft 21 extends transversely beneath the bed and is journalled in the mattress supporting side rails 22. The shaft 21 can be rotated by a crank 23 attached to the shaft at one side of the bed. The shaft 21 is provided with oppositely disposed threads 24 adjacent each end. A threaded collar 25 is adapted to ride on each of the threads 24 on the shaft 21. The collars 25 are pivotally connected by link bars 26 to a fixed collar 27 on the horizontal leg 19 of the member 18. With the parts thus assembled, turning movement of the crank 23 will cause rotation of the shaft 21. In one direction the collars 25 will ride on the threads 24 towards each other and in the opposite direction they will ride away from each other. When the collars 25 move towards each other the links 26 will be swung toward a vertical position and will push the member 18 downwardly. This will pull the side bars 16 downwardly against the action of the springs 15. When the collars 25 move away from each other the links 26 may be swung horizontally and this will pull the member 18 upwardly, the side bar moving upwardly assisted by the springs 15.

The actual lifting movement is accomplished by providing the side rails 16 with spaced pins or hooks 28 extending angularly downwardly as shown in Fig. 5 so as to be out of contact from either side of the rail thus preventing snagging. A sheet of flexible material 29 is stretched between the side rails 16. The material 29 should be strong yet soft and easily cleansed. Canvas can be used but nylon or glass cloth is preferable. The material is provided with spaced eyelets 30 which can he slipped over the hooks 28 as shown in Fig. 5. If desired, the material 29 can be removed and the side rails 16 be used as protective rails for protecting a patient from rolling off the bed. This can be accomplished by raising the rails to approximately the position shown in the drawings.

With the cloth 29 in position the patient can be raised readily by one nurse turning the crank 23 since the springs 15 assist in the upward movement. During the downward movement the weight of the patient will assist in over balancing the springs 15 to lower the device.

The cloth 29 may be provided with an opening 31 so that a bed pan can be placed under it after the patient has been raised. In addition the cloth 29 can also be provided with triangular flaps 32 adjacent the head end of the bed. The flaps 32 will be provided with additional eyelets 33. When the first few eyelets on the cloth are unhooked the flap can be swung forwardly as shown in Fig. 3 and hooked separately on to the fourth or fifth eyelet pulling the head of the cloth vertically so that the patient is held in a sitting position. In addition the cloth 29 may be provided with a pocket 34 into which the pillow 35 may be slipped to help hold the patient in a sitting position. In this position the first 2 or 3 eyelets toward the foot of the bed may also be unhooked so that the patients leg will swing downwardly towards the bed. The patient can thus be completely raised into a sitting position by one nurse Without assistance.

This device is useful with patients with broken bones who must be lifted very carefully, with patients with heart conditions which require slow careful handling, and patients that have been paralyzed in any manner. If desired, a sheet can also be placed over the cloth 29.

It is preferred that the side rails 16 be made of tubular material to give strength without weight. By telescoping the ends as at 36 the device can be made adjustable to different length beds. Also, since most iron hospital 3 beds are supported "on tubular members the device can be" built into a "bed' by'using the legs" instead of'the cylinders 13 and positioning the springs 15 within the legsof the bed. 7

Changes in" construction and other advantages of the present invention Will be readily apparent to a person skilled in th'e'art'.

' I claim: 7

1. An auxiliarybed' hoist comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails extending along each side of a bed, means independentof' the bedfor supporting said rails at each end, means for simultaneously raising or lowering said rails, and a supporting fabric' extending over said bed and releasably hooked to said rails, said raising means comprising a bar'nrounted transversely beneath said bed and'having'acrankatone end, saidbar having oppositely disposed threads'toward'each end, a threaded collar riding on each set of threads; a U shaped bar connected to said'rails and extending beneath said threaded bar, a fixed collar in the center of said U-shaped bar, and a pair of'pivoted' links connecting said fixed collar to said threaded collars;

2. An auxiliary bed hoist comprising a .pair of spaced parallel rails extending along each side of a bed, means independent of said bed for supporting said rails at each end, means for simultaneously raising or lowering said rails, and a sup-porting fabric extending over said bed and anchored to'said rails, said rails having spaced pins and said fabric having spaced eyelets for hooking over said; pins, said supporting means comprising a tubular tical portions at each end extending into said tubular members and resting on said springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 342,551 Weber May 25, 1886 456,990 Hawley Aug. 4, 1891 470,944 Monkhouse Mar. '15, 1892 633,525 M'artindale Sept. 19, 1899 738,104 Gaiser Sept. 1, 1903 752,198 Bratlie Feb. 16, 1904 1,419,624 Goebel June 13, 1922 1,760,303 Dougherty .May 27, 1930 1,829,274 Gilroy Oct; 27, 1931 2,187,198 Fields .Ian. 16, 1940 2,348,778 Black May 16,.1944 2,498,055 Veit Feb. 21, 1950 2,536,503 Jones Ian. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS' 66,003 Switzerland Aug. 26, 1913 413,777 Italy May 28, 1946 629,034 France July 12, 1927 

